Automotive service equipment is rapidly being advanced to incorporate more and more automatic modes of operation. Several steps within each service procedure occur sequentially, each step requiring various lengths of time for completion. The operator is not required to be present at the service equipment during these periods of time. He can be performing other tasks within the workshop, thus being more productive and efficient.
A purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved automotive service equipment and method employing an automotive service machine having at least one automatic mode of operation for servicing a vehicle as referred to above, which provides a means to communicate service equipment status to the operator while he is away from the service equipment during automatic service procedures. The automotive service equipment of the inventions signals the operator at the time his intervention is required. Completion of an automatic sequence, or an operation fault condition, or that a process input is required, can be communicated.
In a disclosed embodiment, the automotive service equipment of the invention comprises an automotive service machine having at least one automatic mode of operation for servicing a vehicle during which an operator is not required to be present. A first, stationary communication module is connected to the automotive service machine. The first communication module receives first signals from the machine indicating the status of an automatic mode of operation of the machine and wirelessly transmits second signals communicating when an operator's attention to the machine is required. A second, portable communication module remotely receives the second signals and in response activates a signaling device in the second communication module for signaling an operator that attention to the machine is required.
According to the example embodiment, the second signals are wirelessly transmitted by the first communication module when at least one of a process input is required, a process is halted due to an operation fault condition, and a process is completed. Preferably, the second, portable communication module is a pocket-size module for carrying by an operator, e.g. worn around the neck by way of a lanyard, fastened to a belt by way of belt clip or attached to a keychain. Because the range of communication possible between the first and second communication modules extends beyond the immediate vicinity of the automotive service machine, the operator can, after initial setup of the automotive service machine, leave the immediate vicinity of the machine and perform other tasks within the workshop, thus being more productive and efficient, while being immediately notified when attention to the automatically operating machine is required.
A controller of the automotive service machine for operating the machine in the at least one automatic mode of operation sends the first signals from the machine to the first communication module. The first communication module may be embedded within the controller or installed in the machine as a separate modular unit via a cable with plug connector at a communication port of the controller. The automotive service equipment includes means permitting the operator to selectively activate/deactivate the first communication module at the machine.
The automotive service equipment can additionally include a workshop management computer system as a central monitoring station to facilitate workshop management. In such case, the first communication module wirelessly transmits signals to and receives wirelessly transmitted signals from the workshop management computer system. Two-way communication can also be provided between the first and second communication modules to permit the second, portable communication module to indicate, for example, that it is out of range.
According to another feature of the automotive service equipment of the invention, a plurality of automotive service machines each having at least one automatic mode of operation, are provided. A plurality of first communication modules each connected to a respective one of the automotive service machines receive first signals from their associated machine indicative of the status of an automatic mode of operation of the machine and wirelessly transmit second signals when an operator's attention to the machine is required. With this arrangement, the second, portable communication module receives the second signals from each of the first communication modules and in response signals an operator that attention to the machine is required. This permits one operator to monitor the operation of several machines at once. Alternatively, each machine can have its own dedicated second, portable communication module. The plurality of automotive service machines may include different types of automotive service machines such as fluid handling machines for power steering fluid exchange, differential fluid exchange, engine oil system flush, engine coolant exchange, air conditioner refrigerant charging/recovery/recycling, air conditioner flush, transmission fluid handling, brake fluid exchange, and nitrogen tire filling.
The portable module can be provided as part of a complete service equipment system from the factory. The portable module, in this example, would be synchronized with the stationary module mounted within the specific piece of service equipment. The portable module would, however, be able to be resynchronized with any other piece of service equipment containing an integral stationary module. Any portable module can be synchronized with any other stationary module. A single portable module may be synchronized with more than one piece of service equipment. This synchronization with one or many pieces of equipment is a function easily performed by the technician in the field at any time in the life of the product. A single portable module can be re-synchronized many times and in different combinations of monitored stationary modules as desired.
The invention can be retrofitted to any existing equipment which has a “means to alert” the technician that a process is complete or that his input is required. The “means to alert” in the existing equipment may be an indicator light or a buzzer for example. A simple set of instructions would enable the installation of a stationary module and the re-wiring of the equipment to input the same alerting signal(s) to the stationary module. This would enable the invention to be applied to equipment not necessarily produced by the inventor. Future equipment produced by the inventor would typically have the means to add the stationary module with a simple plug type connection for field add-on.
An improved method of servicing an automotive vehicle of the invention using an automotive service machine having at least one automatic mode of operation during which an operator is not required to be present, comprises initiating an automatic mode of operation of the automatic service machine for servicing a vehicle, indicating by the machine to a first, stationary communication module connected to the machine, the status of the automatic mode of operation of the machine, interpreting the indicating by the machine to the first communication module and wirelessly transmitting signals from the first communication module when an operator's attention to the machine is required, remotely receiving the signals at a second, portable communication module, and signaling by a signaling device in the second communication module that an operator's attention to the machine is required in response to the receipt of the signals by the second communication module. This signaling in an example embodiment includes turning on an indicator light, sounding an audible buzzer and activating a vibrator of the second communication module. Signaling could be by way of text messaging.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.